International Dutch photographer Ted van der Hulst’s photography book ‘Aristocrats’ is a timely and significant investigation into the strength of the human spirit. Van der Hulst captures intimate portraits of a dwarf community living in Bali and juxtaposes images of daily life, with their professional personas.

Employed in a voyeuristic tourist entertainment show in Kuta, dressed in costumes, they engage in acrobatics, dance, boxing and comedy routines. They develop masks to shield their sensitivity from the ridicule and bullying by others because of their physical appearance.

Van der Hulst gains their trust and enters within their world, where they feel secure enough to shed their masks to reveal their rich characters and integrity. He describes moments that fascinate and ignite our imagination.

Now, more than ever, it is essential to speak via the potency of narrative imagery. Van der Hulst’s results are touching, enlightening and beautiful.